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Species Discovery: A Large New Amoeba With Unique Cytoskeletal Architecture

Undergraduate #100
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Microbiology/Immunology/Virology

Jordan Branch - Spelman College


Evolution and biodiversity of Amoebozoa is poorly known. Members of this taxonomic group are economically important to humans and in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Understanding their diversity will contribute to our understanding of their contribution to the ever changing environment. In this study we describe a large new species of amoeba discovered from a freshwater sample. A combination of light and confocal microscopy techniques were used to describe its morphology and behavior. The new isolate, designated as UK-YT1 (width ~91 µm, length ~120 µm) moves in a distinctive manner utilizing pseudopods and surface tension from a posterior protuberant similar to a uroid. In locomotive form, its hyaloplasm, which averages 9 µm, expands opposite the direction of the posterior uroid of the actively locomoting amoeba. Fluorescent imaging shows a unique arrangement of microtubules, with the presence of a microtubule organizing center and tubulin filaments that wrap around the nucleus and flow in a unidirectional manner away from the hyaloplasm, mimicking the shape of a mistletoe.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): Howard Hughes Medical Institute Spelman Mentored and Research Trained (SMART) Scholars Program, Grant Number 52006314; National Science Foundation RIA Grant (1409587).

Faculty Advisor: Yonas Tekle, ytekle@spelman.edu

Role: I completed the immunocytochemistry and morphological studies for this research. All of the images on the poster, and the video referenced, were taken, reviewed, and edited by me. The only part of this research that was not completed by me is the genetic methods that were used in attempts to identify the unknown. However, this data is not referenced on the poster.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

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